"School officials did not conduct a strip search," officials said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

However, on Friday morning, parents of the students involved released their own statement, disputing many of the school board's statements.

Board meeting attendees said four black female students were questioned and strip-searched by the school nurse and assistant principal after suspicion of possessing drugs.

A statement distributed by local organization, Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow, claimed the girls were "instructed to remove their clothing" for "appearing hyper and giddy during their lunch hour."

On Friday, the mothers of the girls followed up, saying, "The past several days have been unexpectedly stressful and traumatic to our girls, to us as parents, and our collective families."

Read the full statements from the parents and the school board below

Board members said the district has an obligation to ensure the health and well-being of students, "which may include physical and medical evaluation," but added the evaluation did not involve a strip search.

"The administrators who work in the middle school every day are trained to monitor and evaluate students and recognize behavior that is out of character," read the statement.

Officials said school officials followed protocol by contacting parents "of the precautions and procedures that were taken."

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Tuesday's Binghamton School Board meeting was standing room only as the community demanded action regarding the alleged strip search of four middle school girls last week.(Photo: Ashley Biviano / Staff Photo)

"These on-the-spot decisions are made to ensure the student’s health and well-being remain a priority," read the statement, "which is why students are evaluated immediately."

Board officials said the students were not punished as a result of the incident and were allowed to return to class after being evaluated.

"The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority," officials said.

The Binghamton City School District said Wednesday "a student may, under current law and policy, be searched in a school building by an administrator when the administrator reasonably suspects that a student’s health is in danger or is in possession of a substance that may harm themselves or others."

During those searches, the district said, an administrator could ask a student to empty their pockets, remove their shoes and/or remove their jackets.

In their statement, the parents claimed their daughters were "told to remove their clothing to be searched for drugs and other illegal substances," and that the parents were not informed of the searches until their daughters told them about it.

One of their daughters, the parents wrote, was held for in-school suspension for not complying with the search.

After the incident, the students missed several days of school, their parents said, "as they no longer feel safe at East Middle."

"Listening to our children recount and relive this trauma has been an experience we would not wish on any parent," they said. "And we hope no other child has to experience what they have endured."